Metaboliti

Metaboliti (metabolites) are small molecules that participate in or result from metabolism in living organisms. They include compounds involved in energy production, biosynthesis, and signaling. Metaboliti are categorized as primary metabolites, essential for growth and maintenance (such as amino acids, nucleotides, simple sugars, organic acids, and fatty acids), and secondary (or specialized) metabolites, which are not directly required for basic cellular processes but often mediate interactions with the environment. Secondary metabolites are abundant in plants, fungi, and bacteria and include alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolics, polyketides, and nonribosomal peptides.

Biosynthesis and metabolism: Primary metabolites arise from central pathways such as glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and amino acid and nucleotide biosynthesis. Secondary metabolites derive from diverse routes and enzymatic cascades, often involving gene clusters; their production may be induced by stress or ecological interactions.

Analysis and study: The field of metabolomics aims to measure and understand the complete set of metabolites in a biological sample. Techniques such as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are used. Metabolite databases (e.g., HMDB, KEGG, METLIN) support identification and interpretation.

Applications: Metabolites serve as biomarkers for health and disease; they are used in drug development, nutrition, plant science, and environmental research. Dysregulation of metabolism underlies many diseases; understanding metabolite flux helps in systems biology and precision medicine.